A Land of Cold Fire
by TheLostAndLonely
Summary: This is a story about a boy and his Typhlosion falling in love on their journey across the region. Fair warning, this is rated M for a strong chance of lemons and language. Chapter 4 is now available.
1. Ch 1 The Savior

A strange chill crept through Sean's skin as he stared at the moon in the clear black sky, suspended like a bright ball in an endless velvet curtain. It has been just a mere three days since he had set off on his journey to become a Pokémon master, and he loved every minute of it. He smiled lightly as his thoughts drifted to how he had obtained his first Pokémon, a Typhlosion from the local professor. He named her Hailey, after one of his dear friends that had passed away years before.

They had already won many battles with novice trainers, and were on their way to Pewter City to get their first badge. The thought of victory made Sean smile wider; giving him a feeling he had never felt before. He was free out to explore the world on his own with his thoughts and Pokémon as his only companions. And oh, how he loved it! Every breath he took was like that first breath you take as a newborn babe: fresh, clear, and full of energy.

Now, Sean wasn't a bad-looking individual. He stood at a height of 6'1 at 16, with long brown hair covering one eye and deep, dark brown eyes with a sliver of black lining their edges. He was lanky, but was pure muscle, making him look far weaker than he really was. In fact, he had stood his own against an Ursaring not too long ago.

The wind whistled through his hair as he heard someone approaching. "Hailey?" he called, "Are you alright?"

Hailey, his Typhlosion, walked up and sat beside him on the grass, looking out at the horizon. "I'm fine," she replied, smiling slightly. "I just needed a place to sit for a while." I forgot to mention, he had been born with the ability to communicate with and understand Pokémon.

Hailey wasn't like other Pokémon. She hated being confined to her poke ball, preferring the open air. So, her trainer had refrained from using the ball, vowing to use it only in the direst of circumstances. He was happy when she was happy, and he was grateful for the company.

They sat there for a while, the only sounds were those of wild Pidgey, and the soft flame crackling around Hailey's neck. She normally didn't have her flame ignited, but the night was chilly, and she thought her master would be cold. That being the true reason she sat next to him. She thought of it as a small form of repayment for how he had saved her life, the day they met not so long ago…

-Flashback-

The sun was hidden in a deep fog, covering the route where Hailey and the professor were panting for breath.

"Come, Typhlosion," he said between gasps of shallow breath. "We can hide here. Hurry, before they come back."

He started to run farther into the mist, leaving the poor Pokémon to try and catch up. Her breath was fading by the second, and she eventually lost sight of the professor. Lost, scared and exhausted, she collapsed on the dirt road, waiting for her pursuers to find her.

A group of four Mightyena slowly stalked out of the fog, the leader of them uttering a low growl from his throat as he approached. She tried to get up, tried to run away, but she was stuck in place. The pack let out a triumphant howl as they circled her, leaving no escape route, slowly circling in.

Suddenly, a boy flung himself over her, holding what looked like a metal rod in his hands. He shouted, and swung his weapon toward the leader of the pack. The Mightyena roared, but the boy stood his ground and swung again, yelling even louder. The wild Pokémon tried to come at the boy with a Quick Attack, but the boy sidestepped and pushed the mongrel on his side, sending him through the air with unexpected strength.

The dazed mutt finally decided that his prey wasn't worth the fight, and decided to leave with what dignity he had left. The pack left, leaving the Typhlosion with her savior. But something was wrong. He started to tremble slightly, and he clasped his right side as his shirt seemed to grow dark red around a certain point.

He collapsed, dropping the rod with a sharp _tang_ as it hit the ground. The Typhlosion ran to his side, seeing his face for the first time. The angled features were obscured by a slight grimace he wore, the type one wears when they are in great pain. She looked down and found his side caked in fresh blood as it started to flow through his fingers.

She carefully picked him up, and started carrying him towards town. He had saved her life, and it was the least she could do in return. It was only a few long minutes later that they entered the small town, his breathing even more ragged than before.

She quickly carried him to the professor's laboratory, ignoring her own fatigue as she ran through the double-doors. The professor had already arrived, and was pacing the room waiting for her return. When he saw her, he smiled and cried out, "Typhlosion! I'm so glad you're alri-. "

He stopped cold as he saw the young boy in her arms. "Oh my, what happened here?" he asked her. She just looked at the boy with apparent sadness and pity as the professor took him from her arms.

"It looks like he got nicked by one of those Mightyena's claws…" the professor observed. "It's not life threatening, but he needs to rest for a while. Help me carry him to my room, if you would please." Hearing that he wasn't in any real danger, the young Typhlosion brightened slightly and helped to carry the boy to the room behind the main desk.

After a couple of days, the boy finally awoke to find the Typhlosion asleep at his side. After the proper introductions, he told them he had been camping nearby, hoping for the fog to clear when he heard the pack of Mightyena. He had grabbed a tent pole and quickly ran to the commotion.

He eventually said that he had been travelling to the town to see the local professor in order to receive his first Pokémon for his journey, even if he was a few years too old. The professor agreed, and took him and the Typhlosion to a small counter with three poke balls set next to each other, labeled Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. He started to make his decision, when the Typhlosion tugged at his arm.

"Hm?" he looked over to the fire Pokémon, a light blush covering her face.

The professor merely chuckled and said, "It seems my Typhlosion here would like to join you as your Pokémon. Is that right?" the Typhlosion nodded vigorously and nuzzled the young boy, blushing brighter.

The boy smile and said, "Very well then, I choose you." He gave her a quick scratch behind the ears and laughed as she tackled him in a bear hug.

"What would you like to name her?" asked the professor, smiling at their new friendship.

The boy looked at his new companion, and said, "Hailey, if she would like it."

-End flashback-

That seemed so long ago, and they had never left each other's sides since. The flame on her neck grew brighter as she recalled her memories of that day, becoming lost in what seemed like the distant past.


	2. A Growing Flame

Alright guys, second chapter, and more building of plot here. I would give you a summary, but I'd rather have you read and find out for yourself. :3

After a quick meal, Sean and Hailey collapsed into a blissful sleep under an oak tree. The only thing that moved was Hailey as she wrapped her hands around her trainer. She loved the comfort of his body, and she wanted to keep him warm through the cold night. She smiled deep in her sleep with only one thing on her mind: her savior, and now new best friend.

Morning came as Sean opened his eyes to find his Typhlosion holding him. He smiled and scratched under her jaw, which he had learned, was her favorite spot. He chuckled as she squirmed in pleasure under his touch. As she opened her eyes, he hugged her closely.

"Good morning," he said quietly, greeting her into the new day.

She quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and smiled widely. "Good morning, Master," she replied.

"I thought I told you not to call me that," he said, laughing lightly. "I think of all creatures as my equals, and I don't want to feel like you're inferior to me." He hugged her again and kissed her on the head. He saw her smile grow wider as he got up calling, "I'll be back. I need to make us some food." She nodded and leaned against the tree, looking at the sky. It was a bright new day, with nothing to do but be with her Mast-, no, to be with Sean. She giggled at her mental mistake and sighed.

In the distance, she could hear a flock of Starly chirping away at the new day. Pewter City wasn't that far away, as she could already see the outline of its buildings. Soon they would be out of this forest and back on the road, and she was already prepared for the battle to come. Her body shivered with anticipation and joy at the thought of making Sean proud of her. But then she thought, why?

Why was she so intent on pleasing him? Sure, she thought, it would make up for him saving her, but she suddenly knew that wasn't the only reason. Why, then, did she feel this way? She racked her mind and searched for possibilities, but the more she thought, the more confused she got. It was so strange… She had always been in touch with her thoughts up to this point. What was wrong with her? And why did she get a warm feeling in her chest every time he crossed her mind?

She was just going to start screaming from frustration when Sean suddenly called her to eat. She sighed, rose from her seat, and cast aside her previous thoughts as pointless. She would just have to think on it later. She then went to the campsite to find a wonderful meal put before her. Eggs, hash browns, toast and ham, all of which she eagerly devoured.

When they had both finished their breakfast, Hailey helped Sean pack everything before they set out again. The air was still, save for a slight breeze that came every once in a while through the trees, bringing the wonderful smell of flowers and berries. The only sounds were those of their footsteps and their even breath.

Soon a small dirt road opened under their feet, signaling the end of the forest and the beginning of last stretch to the city. Any minute now, they would arrive and earn their first badge. They both smiled and ran full speed toward the small town, happy to be done with the endless greenery.

After a few minutes of racing, Sean and Hailey arrived at the Pokémon Center. As they entered, a lady with pink hair came to greet them.

"Hello," said Nurse Joy. "Welcome to the Pewter City Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"

"Hello Nurse Joy," replied Sean. "I was just hoping to get a room for the night if you had any?"

The nurse quickly went behind her desk and grabbed a key. "Here you are you are in room 212. Enjoy your stay!"

Sean thanked her and quickly took their things to the room. It was nothing much, a small bed, a television, a few windows and a bathroom accompanied by a kitchen (a small stove and microwave) and laundry area (a washer and dryer in the corner) all packed into three small rooms. All in all, it was just what they needed.

He hurried and changed into his favorite outfit, a black T-shirt, black skinny jeans, and a dark red and black jacket with a vague design of a skull on the front. Satisfied with his outfit, he quickly fixed his hair took Hailey back outside to the city.

Neither of them spoke on their way to the gym. A mutual agreement came between them as they walked. They didn't need words of encouragement from the other, they were ready to take on the gym leader and earn a place in the Pokémon league. And nothing could stand in their way. Not even a slumbering Snorlax.

As they walked, a different reason also arose in Hailey's mind. If she could do this, then she could possibly get even closer to Sean, and maybe figure out what it was she felt in the forest. She wanted to know what that unusual warmth in her body really was.


	3. A New Battle

Hey guys, great chapter here! This is only the third of many, and I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now without further ado, on to the reading!

The gym doors slid open with ease as Sean and Hailey walked inside. The ground was littered with dirt, pebbles, and boulders. And in the center was a young man sitting in a small arena. He had spikey black hair, tan brown skin, and an orange vest with a green shirt and brown pants. In his hand was a small rock he continuously tossed and caught in mid-air.

He looked up at the new challenger, always ready to battle. The air seemed to grow colder as the man stood and spread his feet firmly under him, giving a sense of sure power and confidence. After further inspection of his challenger, he seemed to smirk at his appearance. Surely this kid wasn't going to try and battle him? And with a fire type! HA! This thought made him laugh slightly, but he caught himself as he remembered his old friend and how he had dominated him with one of the weakest Pokémon he thought possible at the time. He would not underestimate his opponents again, he promised himself that a long time ago.

"Who are you, kid?" he called to the intruder.

"I am Sean, from a distant land, and I have come here with my Typhlosion for a chance to challenge you for a bolder badge," Sean replied. His arms were twitching in anticipation, and he could feel small beads of sweat form around his face, despite the seemingly cold room.

Hailey could sense it in him as she readied herself beside him, every muscle aching for their next win, and to make her friend proud of her. She ran strategies through her mind, and grinned slightly as she envisioned the leader's defeat at her hands, erm, paws.

The leader smiled, but it was not the smile of arrogance he wore just moments before, but one of recognition. This boy reminded him so much of his friend, and it brought back so many years of the time spent with him that it almost seemed unreal. Perhaps the only difference was how the boy kept his long hair: clean and covering one eye as opposed to wiled and unruly.

He cleared his breath and declared for anyone to hear: "I am Brock, leader of the Pewter City Gym, and I gladly accept your challenge."

At this, Sean calmly walked to his spot at the other end of the field, opposite his opponent, and crouched into his ready stance. "May I ask your rules?" he called, somehow keeping his voice level despite his and Hailey's excitement, which was apparent as she tried to shake off her anxiety by stretching and letting out small bursts of flame with her breathing, singing the air in front of her and leaving a smell of Rawst berries.

"I normally have two-on-two battles, but it seems you only have that Typhlosion with you. So I'll leave the choice up to you two. Would you like it to be one-on-one, or two-on-one? It's your choice."

Hailey quickly replied, "Two-on-one it is." Every word was laced with confidence, and maybe a tad bit of arrogance, but she didn't care. Not as long as she made Sean proud.

"Are you sure Hailey?" Sean inquired. As opposed to her confident tone, his words took one of concern. He knew what she was trying to do, and he didn't want her to get hurt because of it.

She merely nodded and faced her opponent, baring her teeth as she came to a low crouch. Sean relayed the request, making the Leader falter slightly. This child could communicate with his Pokémon! He quickly composed himself and grinned at the prospect of the battle to come. He reached to his belt and pulled a poke ball out of its holder, and shouted: "Alright then let the match begin! GO! Geodude!"

He threw the ball into the air, letting it land in the center of his side of the field. The ball opened, and a sudden burst of red light illuminated the room, taking the form of what looked like a large rock with arms. The Pokémon quickly readied itself, bringing up its fists in preparation for the battle.

"GO! Hailey!" Sean cried. Hailey quickly moved to the center of her side, squaring off with her new adversary. Her heart pulsed faster, and her breathing came in shallow rasps as she became overwhelmed with excitement.

"I'll take the first move," Brock declared. He pointed at Hailey, marking his target clearly. "Geodude, use rock throw!"

"Yes, sir!" cried the Pokémon as he picked up rocks the size of Sean's head and prepared to launch them at the Typhlosion.

"Quick," Sean cried out, "dodge it and use swift Hailey!"

The Geodude launched his projectiles at the Typhlosion, but she was far too fast. She easily sidestepped the stones and launched small, star-shaped rays at the rock-type Pokémon opposite her. The attack hit its mark, causing the Geodude to cringe in pain. He hadn't expected this kind of strength in this Pokémon, but something seemed to fuel her attack other than the will to win. He cast such thoughts aside, not wanting to be distracted from the battle at hand.

"Geodude, use rollout!" Brock shouted. Geodude wrapped his arms around his body, and rolled at an impossibly fast speed toward Hailey.

"Hailey, jump in the air above it and use rock smash, now!" Sean called.

"Right!" she replied, before jumping several feet in the air only to land behind the startled Geodude. Just as he was turning around to roll at her again, Hailey reared back, her paw slightly glowing with sheer power, and landed a punch that would have knocked out a grown man right between the Geodude's eyes.

He seemed to crumple under the force of the hit, and staggered backward, rolling back with blurry eyes. Brock stood shocked as he called out, "Geodude is unable to battle. Typhlosion wins the first round!"

Sean let loose a cry of victory along with Hailey, basking in the glow of their first win. Just one more to go now! Just one more. Brock chuckled under his breath, seeing more of his friend in this challenger than he previously had. That just meant this next round would be all that more fun.

"Return, Geodude! You did a good job." He held out his poke ball and let the sharp, red light engulf his Pokémon. He placed the ball on his belt and proceeded to take out another. "Alright, enough fun and games," called Brock. "Go, Onix!"

He threw this poke ball much like the other, but this release was far more remarkable. Instead of a rock, they beheld a twenty-foot-long snake made from boulders the size of small shacks. On its head rested a crest that seemed as if it could pierce the moon itself. It roared from deep within itself and smacked the ground with its tail, creating a small crater. This, however, did not intimidate Hailey. She was confident in her ability, as well as Sean's, and she was willing to take on this beast and win.

"Alright, let's go!" Sean positioned himself into his crouch once more. "Hailey, use takedown!"

Hailey ran full-force at the mass in front of her, intending to tackle it for all she was worth. Brock merely grimaced and cried, "Onix, use bind and force them into submission!"

The Onix quickly wrapped Hailey in its tail, squeezing as hard as it could. She cried out in pain, making Sean cringe with shock as he watched her squirm. A sudden feeling came over him, a warm feeling in the pit of his being. It made him want to go to her, to pull her out of the grip of her foe, to protect her… To hold her…

Wait, what was he thinking? He wasn't going to be distracted by this, he had to think! Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Hailey, quick! Use flame wheel! NOW! Full power!"

She understood, and nodded as she couldn't talk with her lungs being crushed. She ignited the flame on her neck so brightly and forcefully, that it engulfed her entire body, along with the Onix. The heat from the attack licked at Sean's skin as he looked away from the scorching light, becoming blinded by the force of the attack. He could hear the Onix let out a large roar as it released Hailey, collapsing to the ground and fainting from the attack.

Brock took his hand from in front of his face and inspected the singed arena. Burn marks left most of the Gym looking as if it hadn't been cleaned in years, which kind of pissed him off seeing how he cleaned it just that morning. Soot fell in clouds from the ceiling and walls, collecting on the floor in small piles.

After returning Onix to his ball, Brock slowly walked over to Sean, who was hugging his weakened Typhlosion in his arms, congratulating her on her win. He smiled as he viewed the care with which he picked her up and slung her arm over his shoulder. "Congratulations, challenger. You have won against me and my team. As recognition, here's the official Boulder Badge." He reached into his pocket and took out a small, round and grey object that he then placed into Sean's shaking hands.

Sean uttered his thanks, hurrying out of the double-doors as he rushed to the Pokémon Center. As he arrived, he took Hailey to the nurse, explaining the situation with a shaking breath.

Several hours later, Hailey awoke to find Sean asleep in front of her. She smiled warmly, feeling amazing after her win and warm in her heart now that she could be with Sean again. And she had finally found out what the warmness in her chest was when he was around.

In her battle against the Onix, when she had been being crushed, she had seen a look of such worry on Sean's face that it clicked. Sean wasn't the one that was supposed to worry, she was! She was to be the one to protect him, and she always wanted to be by him. That one look on his face had told her that he cared so much about her, without even needing a reason why. She knew then what she felt when she looked at or thought of him. It was love. She didn't care if he was human, as long as she could be by his side. That's how, when he made the order for the final attack, the flame burnt so brightly. She had let out all of her feelings in that one burst of energy, using all of her strength to do so.

She smiled again at her realization, and leaned forward, kissing him upon the head as he breathed softly next to her. "I love you, Sean. And I will always be by your side. Always…" She kissed his head again, sitting back up waiting for him to awaken from his slumber.

Well, that's a surprising and cheerful ending to this chapter! Tune in in a few days for chapter 4! Please leave comments and PM me suggestions.


	4. Flame Ignited

Sean awoke the next morning to find that Hailey had made an exceptional recovery. In fact, she was healthy enough to be situating the items in the bag for him. He smiled and watched as she worked, her attention so focused that she never noticed he had even woken up. When she had placed the last item in the bag (a light blue shirt that he had worn the day he met her), he noticed something strange in her expression. The care in which she handled the shirt and the strange look on her face, he just couldn't figure it out. He decided he was just looking too far into things and walked over to her from behind, putting her into a massive bear hug.

"Gah! What the hell, Sean?" Hailey managed to say in short bursts.

"Hehe, good morning," Sean replied, letting her out of the embrace. "I see you're feeling better?" He sat next to her and noticed a slight blush across her face, making him chuckle slightly.

Hailey giggled and hugged her trainer, nuzzling his chest. Now it was his turn to blush. "I'm even better than I look. When are we leaving?" she asked, looking up at him with obvious excitement and longing to leave.

"Well, seeing that you're up and moving, we can leave now if you want."

Hailey smiled broadly and literally dragged Sean out of the room and into the main hall of the building, with him smiling all the way. He then signed the paperwork, slung his pack over his shoulder, and left the small town with Hailey right beside him.

As they left the city boundary, something crossed his mind that made him mentally slap himself. "Hailey," he called, "we're forgetting something." She stopped and looked back, thinking they had forgotten something at the city. "The next gym in Cerulean City is a water-type gym. I'm afraid you'll have to sit that one out."

Hailey looked devastated. How could she have forgotten? There was no way she could possibly go against that gym. She wanted to make Sean proud of her, but if she went on her own against the next challenge, she thought she would just embarrass him and herself. Sean patted her on the head and smiled warmly at her, taking a pokeball from his pocket.

"Don't worry, all I need to do is catch an electric or grass type and we'll be set." He tried to smile, but he knew this just made her feel worse. All he could do was get the second gym out of the way for good. He didn't want her to be this depressed…

As they continued walking, Sean tried to think of ways to cheer his friend up. He wanted nothing more than for her to just be happy. He thought he would take her out for a night, all by themselves. He knew how much she loved to look at the moon, remembering how she had told him that the soft light seemed to help her gather her thoughts. He smiled at the thought of seeing her stare at the pale ball in the sky. Her eyes would shimmer as if in a trance, and her beauty would be amplified in the night.

Wait, what the fuck was he thinking? Her beauty? Her shimmering eyes? He suddenly felt a slight warmness in his chest as he thought about it. What was happening to him?

Just as he was pushing the thoughts out of his head, a slight rustling behind a shrub caught his attention. His head jerked to the right just as Hailey's had, and there they beheld a Luxray. The creature's black fur shimmered in the sunlight, and its paws shot small bursts of electricity with every step it took toward them. Wait a second, towards them? Crap, they must have wandered into its territory by mistake.

"Get away from here, you trespassers!" By the sound of its voice, Sean could tell it was a female. But this was strange, usually the males were the ones to confront any intruders, unless…

"Are you alone here?" he asked her, concern and genuine curiosity apparent in his voice.

"So what if I am?" she retorted, sending off small jolts from the fur on her back.

"Well," Sean started, trying to find the words to convince her, "how would you like to come with us? I could really use your help."

"Why should I trust you?" she spat at him, her voice coming to a near scream. "You're just like the rest of them, men. All you want is to use me and throw me away, and I've had enough of it!"

Without warning, she charged at him, her fangs crackling with pure electricity that make his hair stand on end. The thunder fang move was about to connect when Hailey tackled her from the side, sending her spiraling into a tree. This did nothing to faze her in the least bit, as she shakily got onto her feet and scowled at them both. She then turned to Hailey. "Why do you protect this human?! Are you his slave, or are you doing it out of pity?"

The flame on Hailey's neck ignited and burned the air around her, making it hard for Sean to breathe. "I am not a slave, and I do not pity him. I do this for one reason and one reason only."

"And what would that be," the Luxray inquired, her head tilting to the side but her demeanor not changing.

"I do this because I… I… I LOVE HIM!" She then flung herself at the Pokémon, using so many moves in succession that within seconds, the Luxray fainted before them. Hailey's breath came in short rasps as she studied the result of her handiwork.

She then went to her shocked trainer's side and took a pokeball from his belt, placing it in his hands. "Here, use it before she wakes up," she said. Her face was covered in the darkest blush that Sean had ever seen, and without needing any more instruction, he flung the ball at his target. A red beam surrounded the sleeping Luxray, as it dragged her into the recesses of the device. The ball then hit the ground and proceeded to roll from side to side, eventually coming to a halt, giving a final click as the Pokémon had finally been captured.

He quickly retrieved the ball and placed it on his belt. As he did, he looked at Hailey, her face to the ground and paws limp at her sides as she prepared to be insulted by her one true friend. He then did something that shocked her: he walked slowly up to her, wrapped an arm around her, brought her chin up with the other, and kissed her.

She stood in a daze, unable to move, and not wanting to. His lips were soft and warm as she felt all of his emotion in that one action. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him against her chest. This was everything she wanted, and dreaded would never come to pass, but here they were, locked in a loving embrace, with nothing on their minds but each other. Both of them had finally figured out what the feeling in their chests was: it was love. Pure, untainted love. It didn't matter that one was human and the other a Pokémon, so long as they both had each other.

Sean then broke the kiss, looked into her eyes, and said, "I love you too."

Well, that's the end of this chapter. Finally, shit starts to happen. Stay tuned for the next chapter guys!


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